Stitching mechanism for button sewing machines



June 21, 1955 w. T. MAXANT STITCHING MECHANISM FOR BUTTON SEWINGMACHINES- Original Filed May 3, 1945 INVENTQR l i illjam" .7." MaxanlUnited States Patent'O STITCHING IVIECHANISM FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINESWilliam T. Maxant, Ayer, Mass.

Original application May 3, 1945, Serial No. 591,656. Divided and thisapplication March 22, 1951, Serial No. 216,974

2 Claims. (Cl. 112-201) the usual sewing head 9 at the free end thereof.These parts are hollow and communicate at their lower end with the base2. These parts comprising the standard 7, arm 8, and sewing head 9 arepreferably cast integral and either secured rigidly on the base 2 orcast integral therewith. The outer side of the sewing head 9 isinitially open but is enclosed by a cover plate 10 whichv is detachablymounted thereon in the usual manner.

' The sewing head 9 has the usual needle bar 11 mounted therein andguided at thetop through a bushing 12-for reciprocating movementvertically through the head 9; The lower end of the needle bar 11carries the usual sewing needle 13. The needle bar 11 is adapted to bereciprocated sufliciently far .to project the needle '13 into the baseextension 6 for cooperating action with sewing instrumentalitiescontained therein.

flat buttons on work of various kinds, such as strips of 1 cloth,articles of clothing, and the like. It relates more particularly tomachines which are used for attaching either two-hole or four-holebuttons thereto by stitching through the eyes of the buttons and thecloth, especially such machines as are operated by power.

The object of this invention is to improve the sewing operation of themachine by providing for proper synchronization between the needle andthe rotary looper that cooperates therewith to form the stitches.

This object may be accomplished according to one embodiment of theinvention by mounting the looper for rotary adjustment relative to thedrive shaft so as to position it properly in timed relation to coactwith the needle in forming the stitches. A holder is used to support thelooper and is adjustably mounted on the drive shaft. The looper in turnis detachably mounted in the holder. Thus proper adjustment may beprovided as desired.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a slide elevation of the button sewing machine in which theinvention is used; and

Fig. 2 is a detailed longitudinal section therethrougn, with parts inelevation and showing the mounting of the looper on the drive shaft.

The machine is adapted for end operation with the operator facing themachine, and with the machine supported on a table, work-bench, or othersupport, generally designated at S. Accordingly, the machine isconstructed with a machine bed designated generally by the numeral 1,adapted to be mounted on or secured to the support S.

A hollow base 2 is connected with the bed 1, by pivotal connections forswinging movement of the base 2, away from the bed 1 to gain access tothe operating parts of the machine housed within the base. Normally thebase is held in a closed position on the machine bed 1 by a thumb screw4, which extends through an orifice in one side of the base 2 andengages a recess in a lug attached to the bed 1, which lug extendsupwardly within the base 2.

The base frame 2 encloses the principal operating parts of the machineand confines these from entanglement of the cloth therewith, as well aspresenting a more attractive appearance to the machine. The base 2 has aforward extension 6 on the front end thereof over which the button clampis disposed as hereinafter described, which extension is of appreciablyless width than the base, to facilitate the manipulation of the articlesand access to the button clamp by the operator.

The base 2 also supports the usual upstanding standard 7 fixed on thebase, with an arm 8 extending horizontally from the upper end of thestandard 7, which arm carries The machine includes means forreciprocating the needle bar axially, which meansis operated by thedrive shaft 20 and preferably extends through the hollow standard 7 andarm 8, and into the head 9 where it is operatively connected with theneedle bar for reciprocating the latter. This means for operating theneedle bar in properly timed relation with the action of the machine isnot illustrated in detail but reference may be':h"ad' to the aforesaidapplication, Ser. No. 591,656, filed May 3, 1945, now Patent No.2,563,854, for a more complete description thereof.

At the forward end, the drive shaft 20 extends through the bearing block22, and has fixed thereon a holder 24 which is sleeved over the 'driveshaft 20 and is secured thereto by set screws 25 which engage inrecesses in the periphery of the corresponding portion of the driveshaft 20. The holder 24 carries the usual thread looper 26 fixed thereonby a stub shaft 26 inserted into the end of the holder 24 and securedthereto by a set screw 25, whereby the looper 26 will rotate with thedrive shaft 20. The mounting of the looper 26 on the holder 24 permitsrotation of the latter relative to the drive shaft 20 for adjustment ofthe looper 26, so as to time its operation relative to the otheroperating parts of the machine, particularly the movement of the needle13 which coacts with the looper 26 to accomplish the stitching action inthe manner well-known in the art.

The looper 26 is mounted in the base 2 within the extension 6 thereof ata point beneath the needle 13 in position to cooperate therewith toaccomplish the desired stitching action. The means for controlling theoperation of the stitching cycle, both of the needle and of the looper,are not illustrated in detail since any suitable well-known means may beused for this purpose such as has been set forth in the aforesaid patentapplication.

The usual thread tension devices may be used as indicated generally atand 146, which tension devices may be of any well-known construction andneed not be described in detail.

The thread is supplied from a spool mounted on a stand generallydesignated at 147 at the backend of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1.This stand includes a supporting plate 148 and integrally cast flaringsides 149 formed in one integral piece with said plate, so as to e: tendover the top and down opposite sides of the pulleys 33 and 34. Thus thethread holder also forms a guard for the pulleys and belt as well as tosupport the thread.

The thread holder 147 is supported by brackets 150 secured upon the base2. An upstanding hook member 151 is carried by the stand 147 and has aneyelet in the upper end thereof in position to overlie the spool mountedon the stand for guiding the thread therefrom.

The face plate 10 has the usual eyelets 152 and 153 (Fig. l) in theupper and lower portions thereof, and an intermediate thread guidegenerally indicated at 154. A thread guide as shown also at 155projecting through a slot in the face plate 10 and carried by the needlebar 11. Before starting the sewing operation, the material is placedbeneath the button clamp upon the cloth plate 92 of the button clamp.This should be done when the button clamp is in its elevated position,which will afford ready access thereto for this purpose. The button isthen inserted into the clamping jaws 90, and the button clamp 89 islowered to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The operator then swings the hand lever 48, which controls the stopmotion mechanism. This action frees the shaft 20 for rotation.

The forward movement of the stop motion shaft by the lever 48 slides thebelt shifter 36 inwardly which not only shifts the belt from the pulley34 to the pulley 33, but also releases the brake lining 38 from the faceof the pulley 33 which frees this pulley and the shaft connectedtherewith for rotation by the belt. The drive shaft 21? is then operatedby the pulley 33.

The rotation of the drive shaft 20 reciprocates the needle bar 11through a stroke sufiicient to direct the needle downwardly into thebase extension 6 for cooperating stitching action with the looper 26that is rotated by the main shaft 20 on which it is mounted.

While the invention has been illustrated and describedin one embodiment,it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim: I

l. A looper support for a sewing machine comprising in longitudinalaxial alignment with the shaft, a rotary looper having a cylindricalprojecting shank extending into the socket and axially adjustabletherein relative to the holder, and means for securing the shank in thev socket in adjusted position.

2. In a sewing machine having an operating shaft having a cylindricalend, the combination with said shaft, of

a cylindrical holder sleeved over said cylindrical end thereof androtatably adjustable bodily relative thereto, a set screw threadedthrough the holder into engagement with the shaft for securing theholder rigidly in adjusted position relative to the shaft, said holderhaving a socket in an end thereof in axial alignment with the shaft, arotary looper having a cylindrical projecting shank extending into thesocket and axially adjustable therein relative to the holder, and a setscrew threaded through a side of the holder into engagement withtheshank-for securing the shank in the socket in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS920,141 Houston May 4, 1909 Biddle Aug. 21, 1928 I

